What Does Your Society Teach You About Poverty?

The hand that gives is above the hand that takes. (Image from Orbital Charity Dynamics, UK. Caption by author and not affiliated with the organization.)

Implicit in most discussions of poverty is the notion that
inequality is a given, and this has been an expected way society
passes down their ideas regarding the subject. Since the only
society I have ever lived in is here in Malaysia, I do not have
firsthand accounts of the values that other cultures espouse
except for my own. Here, there are several ideas of poverty and
the conditions that engender it that are taught both formally and
informally as an attempt to obstruct the violence realities of
economic inequality.

First, is a pretty common belief that poverty is an identity
problem. With a strong belief in the promise of economic
mobility, those who are poor are seen as lesser because they just
haven’t worked hard enough to lift themselves out of their
existing conditions. The stigma against homeless people, which I
have written on, is largely due to the belief that they are
simply too lazy to take care of themselves. This is the danger of
putting all of your eggs in one meritocratic basket. The ‘losers’
of the economic and social game are seen as deserving because
they have not worked as hard as you or I. You may retort that
people do not honestly think this way anymore, but tell that to
authorities who blame the poor for their own plight.

The picture that society captures reflect anything but the
consensus that the poor deserve to be treated with the dignity
rightly afforded to any human. The homeless are still homeless,
the beggars still beg, and the poor still struggle to find means
of subsistence. On another note, it is no longer acceptable to
publicly degrade the fortunes of those who live in impoverished,
yet to be ‘developed’ countries. Surely for first world countries
to blame those in the third world or global south for not having
reached their version of a modernized and developed country is no
longer on the table. But again, whatever constraints on what is
or is not appropriate to say in polite company makes no
difference to the realities. It just means that the structural
violence occurring now happens silently.

Second, as Malay Muslims, my education as well as the general
culture in this country has impressed upon me the importance of
sedekah, or giving alms. To care for those who are less
privileged than us, to give as much as we can, is an exhortation,
and a noble cause. However, side by side with this cultural
teaching that’s passed from one generation to the next via both
formal and informal education systems is the idea that when you
give sedekah, you get twice what you give in return. This
goes with the saying ‘the hand that gives is better than the hand
that receives’. The idea is that those who give will receive more
blessings from God, but the social context this teaching is
spread in undermines the sacredness of altruistic actions.

In a materialistic world powered by self-interest, telling
someone that giving to the poor will double your possessions (be
they material or otherwise) seems like you are affirming an
ideology where nothing can be given for nothing, and that
everything is up for exchange, everything is up for sale. This
incentive further undermines sedekah as an act for God.
Instead, it keeps the gap between the haves and the have nots
wide open by ensuring the purpose of sedekah, at least how
it’s taught, isn’t to reach an end goal of equal economic
distribution, but so that you too can get something out of
helping others. In a religious context, doing good does gain you
points, but a rewards and punishment system is a hindrance and
possibly detrimental to the goal of economic liberation. The end
itself should justify the cause, without spurring children on
with ideas that sedekah will benefit the giver twice as
much as the receiver.

Third, and finally, there is the much questioned issue of the
nature of sympathy. Sympathy can so easily translate itself into
the charity-industrial complex,
and sometimes, it is no more than a manifestation of guilt. When philanthropy itself acts as an
industry, it’s time to question the motives behind those who say
they want to help, including individuals who are encouraged to
express sympathy for the plight of the poor, but who nevertheless
are instilled with the idea that the existence of a lower class
is inevitable, and in fact, beneficial.

“So far as we feel sympathy, we feel we are not accomplices to
what caused the suffering. Our sympathy proclaims our innocence
as well as our impotence. To that extent, it can be (for all good
intentions) an impertinent – if not inappropriate – response. To
set aside the sympathy we extend to others beset by war and
murderous politics for a reflection on how our privileges are
located on the same map as their suffering, and may – in ways we
might prefer not to imagine – be linked to their suffering, as
the wealth as some as some may imply the destitution of others,
is a task for which the painful, stirring images supply only an
initial spark.” Susan Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others

Society and its labours are so increasingly divided today that we
do not hold ourselves accountable for the injustices of the
world. A baker, mechanic, or security officer considers
themselves to not be involved on a political scale. A rich person
doesn’t consider the money they have as stolen from the poor. But
for systems to run, it needs everyone to participate. The bit
parts are the system itself, and this is a system that violently
oppresses the poor. Sympathy obfuscates accountability and
action.

It is sinister indeed to consider the notion that poverty is
inherent and natural. Social, cultural and religious forces
conspire with the ruling class to teach our children that
everything exists for a reason. The reason poor people exists is
to test the rich, for example, and the reason economic hardships
befalls a person is to test them. This sounds ridiculous but is
in fact the beliefs of the religious community that I grew up in,
one that puts a period after the sentence ‘everything happens for
a reason’.

If we wanted to talk about what we personally believe – our
purpose on Earth, and of creation itself – we can sit here till
our hairs turn grey. Reducing the suffering of others to mere
functions is a luxury of the truly privileged. Volunteerism,
charity organizations and efforts, as well as community-centered
activities that aim to alleviate the material realities of the
poor, should continue to be supported. But it is time we do away
with cultural teachings and ideas that can hinder the cause.
Economic inequality is a reality that is caused by humans, and as
humans, we have to take that responsibility.

Find us on Facebook

Tags

Voices of Youth (VOY) was founded in 1995 as UNICEF’s online place for young people to learn more about issues affecting their world. Today, VOY is a vibrant community of youth bloggers from all over the world, offering inspiring, original insight and opinion on a variety of topics. Everyone is welcome to write, film, comment and engage in discussions. Let’s go!